Ned, tentatively.

"Oh, yes," Jack answered, "the other servants sent him about on
errands. He is a handy man about the premises--or was, rather."

"Is he a man to do such a thing as we are accusing him of?" Ned then
asked.

"I never thought so," was the puzzled reply. "I hope you don't think
that he was beaten up by the man who secured his blue clothes! That
would be tough on the fellow."

"I have been thinking of that," Ned responded, "and while the boys
are looking for the Chinaman in the outbuildings suppose we look for
him in the upper part of the house."

"But if the sneak could get into the upper part of the house without
the use of the disguise," reasoned Jack, "he wouldn't need it at all,
would he?"

"He might have been surprised while at work by the Chinaman," Ned
suggested. "In that case he might have taken the clothes as an
afterthought. Suppose we look and see?"

Leaving Frank and Teddy sitting by the window, looking out on a
perfect May night, Ned and Jack climbed the staircase to the attic
and entered the room directly over the Black Bear Patrol clubroom. It
was a large room, more of a storeroom than an attic, with a hardwood
floor and papered walls and ceiling.